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The life of a footballer is often judged as flashy and happening but it is not the case with every player out there, some of them even struggle to find a suitable club to play for. Many believe that footballers are overpaid in their weekly wages and bonuses while there are certain players who don't even get to feature in squads or benches.
But not every player struggles to find and play professional football. There are players who choose not to play as well as not to retire and they all have their own personal reasons for it.
There have been pretty high profile players who have seen their life dawn as they gasped for more game-time and later chose to resign from their contract. Some of them had to do it at a pretty young age while others, not so much. Being a free-agent must be stressful and frustrating as, being a professional, no club wants the service you provide and hence, can bring up many existential questions especially in a young career.
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Here are 5 players who used to be considered as a lethal addition to the squad but now are roaming as free-agents.
#5 Patrice Evra
Age: 37
Market Value: €1 million
Without club since: July 1, 2018
Patrice Evra is a French International who gained his versatile stature playing for Manchester United under their legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. He commanded the left back position for many years while he was at his peak form for the English side. His defensive as well as attacking sense was commendable and was appreciated by many pundits and managers.
Evra was more of a defensive full-back than an attacking one although, at times he was seen carrying the ball all the way up to the left wing and delivering strong left-footed crosses into the box. He joined Monaco in 2002 and played 163 matches in 4 seasons for the French side. He left in 2006 to join Manchester United where he played 379 games for Manchester United and scored 10 goals while assisting 40 times. He won many trophies including Champions League with the English club and became a part of their imperial history. He went on to join Juventus appearing 82 times between 2014 and 2017.
Evra has won much silverware with many teams. He has won five Premier League trophies, one Champions League, three Italian Serie-A, one French Ligue-1, and many more. No doubt the Frenchman is one of the most decorated players of all time with 21 titles to his name.
Evra has represented France 81 times but hasn't scored for them till now and with the new prospects coming in his place, it's hard to see Evra scoring for his national side.
Nowadays, Evra is seen actively posting about his happy life on social media platforms Twitter and Instagram. He made his own hashtag '#ILoveThisGame' which he puts beneath his video posts of him spreading positivity and happiness. At this point, it is very tough to predict if Evra will be back to play more professional football or not but as it stands, the world is pretty happy with his social media performance.
Also see : Women's World Cup 2019, Womens World Cup Schedule, Womens World Cup Standings
#4 Joe Ledley
Age: 32
Market Value: €3 million
Without club since: Jan 31st 2019
Joe Ledley is a Welsh International who used to had played professional football for Crystal Palace, Celtic, and Cardiff City before joining Derby County in September 2017. He has represented his country 77 times since his debut in 2005, helping them reach the semi-finals of the Euro 2016.
His overall career stats are decent enough for a holding midfielder, scoring 67 times and assisting 49 times in 534 matches overall. Although, his 83 appearances for Premier League side Crystal Palace generated six goals and two assists only.
The 32-year-old had his contract cancelled on the deadline day of the winter transfer window in 2019 as he was frustrated with his lack of game-time, playing just 4 times under the new boss Frank Lampard who took charge of Derby in the summer. He was quoted saying:
"I have never been the kind of person who can sit and watch football and not be playing play week in, week out," Ledley said on Twitter.
"I made the decision to terminate my contract with the club prior to the transfer window closing to give myself the opportunity to move on somewhere in the world of football and continue my career."
Ledley has not signed a professional contract with any club and has been a free-agent for almost three months.
#3 Yaya Toure
Age: 35
Market Value: €1 million
Without club since: December 11th, 2018
Yaya Toure is an Ivory Coast international whose talent and skill are known throughout the footballing world. He plays in the central midfield and is greatly known for his commanding and physical strength which drives the whole team as a unit. Yaya has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world and had been instrumental in the squad.
He has played 575 games in his career scoring 96 goals with 68 assists. Out of these 575 appearances, 118 came for FC Barcelona and 316 came for Manchester City where he spent a majority of his time. He scored 79 goals and assisted 50 times for Manchester City and won many trophies with the English club.
Yaya is a well-decorated player with as many as 22 titles and medals to his name. He has won one UEFA Champions League, two Spanish League LaLiga, one Copa del Rey with Barcelona, and three English Premier League, one English FA Cup with Manchester City. He has been named African Footballer of the Year on four different occasions.
He is a man of class and has depicted the same when he's seen with the ball and in the action in general. He is respected by most of the football fans and it would be no harm to say that the world might just be ready for some more action from the Ivory Coast International.
#2 Giovani dos Santos
Age: 29
Market Value: €2 million
Without club since: March 1st, 2019
Giovani dos Santos is a Mexican born professional football who holds Spanish citizenship as well. He is widely known for his skills and intricate footwork in football and his signature incut move where cuts on his left to take a pop on the goal. He is a left-footed attack-minded player who plays as a second striker or an attacking midfielder.
Giovani is still very young at just 29 years old. He has shown clear signs of being a world class player but has failed to live up to his potential. He had his time with Barcelona where he proved that he can be a world class player but failed to be consistent in his performances. Week after week he witnessed himself on the bench struggling to find a way into the first team squad. He appeared 37 times for the Spanish giants and scored four goals while assisting seven times. With his appearances more of a cameo from the benches, he failed to make a mark on the then manager of Barcelona, Pep Guardiola.
After Barcelona, Giovanni had little pop Spurs and Villareal but again, failed to really establish himself there. He later joined LA Galaxy
#1 Yohan Cabaye
Age: 33
Market Value: €10 million
Without club since: Jan 13th, 2019
Yohan Cabaye is a French International who was known for his gifted technical ability, excellent vision, great ball control, and exceptional free-kick quality. He used to play in the central midfield and was often seen in around the opposition penalty area providing or scoring chances.
Cabaye has spent the majority of his time in France playing for the national side as well as the domestic clubs LOSC Lille and Paris Saint-Germain. He scored 37 goals with 32 assists in 251 games for Lille while appeared 51 times and scored three times. He also spent a hefty time in English Premier League with Crystal Palace and Newcastle United. He played 93 matches for Newcastle, scoring 18 and assisting 14 whereas he played 109 matches for Crystal Palace scoring 10 and assisting six. After which, he signed for the Dubai club Al-Nasr in June 2018.
Cabaye has a decent silverware collection with two Coupe de France, two French Ligue 1 and three French Champion trophies
It is unknown when Cabaye will retire from professional football but the world is waiting to witness the talent and ability he possesses once again.
